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[tennisman]

Running down the road in high gear will be a cooler scenario that poking thru traffic in 3rd or 4th gear with the motor around 2000-2200 rpm.  My gauge will run around 240 with ambient air at 90+ degrees.  My hottest ever seen temp was 270, running 1st and 2nd gear, two-up, for 7.5 miles up Mt Washington last summer (ambient air was around 70) but at a 12% grade average, that was tough running.  Nevertheless, even when elsewhere in stop/go traffic and she went "single cylindering", the oil temp didn't get above 260.
I kind of agree with the comment on closed lower vents directing more air at the motor....I've noticed a little lower oil temp when I've inadvertently left them closed.  Not sure if full closed is best though, might be 1/2 way COULD direct a little more air at the fins.
T

[beechflyr]

I was up at Sequoia and Yosemite after the 4th. X pipe, steve's TTS map, stock mufflers. Took the lowers off at wife's request before leaving. Yep, it was smokin' hot july 4. I have no temp gauge, but my right leg was fine and wife said that though her right foot was warm, it was tolerable ( much better despite the extra heat compared with lowers on and less ambient heat). More issue with heat under the seat, especially in go slow mode.  A friend with stock CVO was absolutely cooking, though his BSR was ok. That CAT sure does capture most of the exhaust heat, evidently. Had to keep the RPMs up in the slow climb to Lodgepole to keep the oil pressure up. I've noticed the magic number is 80* ambient. Above that, the bike just runs noticeably warmer

[tennisman]

My magic ambient temp number is 90....then I go get the 96 Softail or my 125" Kaw (like today).

[timtoolman]

dash gauge off by 30degrees !  dont think so , i checked it in a hot pan of water with a thermometer before installing, maybe yours is but mine isnt.


yeah ride around in the heat with the lowers shut. that will fix something eventually

[Midnight Rider]

The two temp gauges are measuring at two different places, thus the difference in temps.

[grc]

Actually, it's all pretty meaningless no matter which gauge you use.  The oil temperature is going to be whatever it is, and whether you measure it at the inlet to the oil pan or at the outlet (which will account for some difference between the two gauges btw), neither of those temperatures is remotely close to the actual peak temperatures the oil is seeing inside the engine.  The important thing a gauge can do for you is to alert you to large and sudden changes which can signal a serious problem in progress (and that's why a dash mounted gauge makes much more sense).  It's not unlike how the temperature gauge works on a water cooled vehicle, there is not one "normal" temperature but in fact a range of "normal" temperatures.  If the gauge stays within the historically "normal" range for your engine, it's not worth wasting time thinking or talking about it.  And I'm still trying to understand why people would want to constantly reach down and push a button to read their dipstick LCD anyway.  Spend your time watching for idiots in cages and calculating escape routes when your sitting at those traffic lights, not playing with your dipstick.

With all the time that's wasted worrying about this subject, I think it would be best to eliminate the oil temp gauges completely and just stick an idiot light on the dash tied to the cylinder head temperature sensor.  Right before the aluminum melts, the light would come on to let you know you might want to stop sitting there with the engine idling while that ten mile long freight train slowly rumbles past.

It's an air cooled dinosaur folks.  You probably knew that when you bought it, but even if you didn't it is what it is and all the gauges in the world won't change the fact that a big air cooled engine will run pretty hot, and a whole lot hotter if you don't keep air moving over it.  The variation in temperatures will naturally be larger than they are in a water cooled engine that has water pumps and fans and radiators to control temperatures.  This is not rocket science, but it is science.

Just ride the bike and quit worrying about things you can't control.  And don't forget to use that synthetic oil that Harley told all of us not to use for all those years until they could bring out their own overpriced version.  That is something that really will help, unlike adding multiple temperature gauges to obsess over.


JMHO  -  Jerry 

[DrSpencer]

Actually, it's all pretty meaningless no matter which gauge you use.  The oil temperature is going to be whatever it is, and whether you measure it at the inlet to the oil pan or at the outlet (which will account for some difference between the two gauges btw), neither of those temperatures is remotely close to the actual peak temperatures the oil is seeing inside the engine.  The important thing a gauge can do for you is to alert you to large and sudden changes which can signal a serious problem in progress (and that's why a dash mounted gauge makes much more sense).  It's not unlike how the temperature gauge works on a water cooled vehicle, there is not one "normal" temperature but in fact a range of "normal" temperatures.  If the gauge stays within the historically "normal" range for your engine, it's not worth wasting time thinking or talking about it.  And I'm still trying to understand why people would want to constantly reach down and push a button to read their dipstick LCD anyway.  Spend your time watching for idiots in cages and calculating escape routes when your sitting at those traffic lights, not playing with your dipstick.

With all the time that's wasted worrying about this subject, I think it would be best to eliminate the oil temp gauges completely and just stick an idiot light on the dash tied to the cylinder head temperature sensor.  Right before the aluminum melts, the light would come on to let you know you might want to stop sitting there with the engine idling while that ten mile long freight train slowly rumbles past.

It's an air cooled dinosaur folks.  You probably knew that when you bought it, but even if you didn't it is what it is and all the gauges in the world won't change the fact that a big air cooled engine will run pretty hot, and a whole lot hotter if you don't keep air moving over it.  The variation in temperatures will naturally be larger than they are in a water cooled engine that has water pumps and fans and radiators to control temperatures.  This is not rocket science, but it is science.

Just ride the bike and quit worrying about things you can't control.  And don't forget to use that synthetic oil that Harley told all of us not to use for all those years until they could bring out their own overpriced version.  That is something that really will help, unlike adding multiple temperature gauges to obsess over.


JMHO  -  Jerry 

Nice.

[Midnight Rider]

Of course, you are correct, Jerry.  I have the LCD temp/oil level dipstick in the present bike, and had it in the '06 as well. I was never remotely concerned on the Vrod.  I never check anything sitting at a redlight, other than my rear view mirrors, but I do take a look sometimes when I stop for fuel.  For me and my bladder, that's about every 150 miles, at most.  On the 110 motor, with the Xpipe, Fullsac, and TTS, I've seen it as high as 270...on the '06 103" motor with a PCIII and tuned, I've seen it as high as 260.  Mostly, I want the LCD oil level readout, just for peace of mind when I check it while on the road...the temp is just a curiousity, because I don't want the bike tuned so that it smells like a gasoline pump when I'm idling somewhere.  After checking the relative accuracy of the LCD oil level readout with the manual dipstick, I trust the LCD now, so I depend on it to let me know if I've sprung a leak since the last fuel stop, or if something weird is happening to the engine that I should be alarmed about.  I've had the '11 go into "parade mode" in 90 degree ambient air temps while sitting in Atlanta traffic, bearing in mind that the actual temp radiating off the pavement is probably more like 110+ degrees if the sun is shining too.  The motor is going to get hot under those conditions, regardless, and honestly, I'd just as soon not know what the oil temp is under those conditions because I can't really do anything about it other than be reasonable and turn the engine off when possible, and safe to do so.

Until HD does something dramatic with engine design, hot is just a part of ownership.  

30 degrees difference is entirely possilbe, IMO, though I can't personally verify that.  Most gauges of the quality HD puts out will probably be within + or - 5 degrees of accuracy.  If you want something more accurate, get an industrial grade sensor and digital readout....anything else is just going to be "close".

And Jerry...do I detect a note of sarcasm in your statement about HD and synthetic oil?      Naaa...not you...

[grc]

....................................................................
And Jerry...do I detect a note of sarcasm in your statement about HD and synthetic oil?      Naaa...not you...

Who, me?  I resemble that remark.


Jerry

[timtoolman]

90 degrees out the other day,  stg 4 107 with fulsac x and  reinhart , tts,    dash gauge  reading 205 degrees at 75 mpg ,  lowers on,  In traffic 25 35 mph  230 degrees with oil cooler fan on using   str 50 wt.  harley oil as per moco manual